A new study, conducted by researchers from Jaume I University in Castelló de la Plana, Spain, suggests that a hormone found in plants can reverse the brain damage caused by a high-fat diet.

For their study, the researchers fed mice with high-fat foods. The rodents developed inflammation of the nervous system which is similar to the Alzheimer’s disease. However, when plants were added to the diet, the damage was reversed due to the plant hormone called abscisic acid.

In the nearest future, the Spanish researchers are planning to investigate the common causes behind such conditions as dementia and insulin resistance.

A new study, performed by an international team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine, USA, and the University of Tsukuba, Japan, suggests that only 10 minutes of light physical activity may boost your memory.

To check their hypothesis, the researchers asked 36 healthy adult participants to carry out only 10 minutes of light exercise. After that, the scientists used high-resolution functional MRI to measure changes in brain activity.

Michael Yassa, a project co-leader, says: “What we observed is that these 10-minute periods of exercise showed results immediately afterward.” Yassa and his team are planning to continue investigating. Next, they are going to run longer-term studies in older adults who have the higher risk of cognitive decline.

According to a French study, recently published in JAMA, senior people with better heart health have the lower risk of developing dementia and cognitive decline.

For the study, the researchers followed 6,626 people aged 65 years and over for 8.5 years on average. The followed people lived in Bordeaux, Dijon, and Montpellier (France). The average age was 73.7 years. None of the followed had dementia or cardiovascular disease.

The researchers conclude in their study: “These findings may support the promotion of cardiovascular health to prevent risk factors associated with cognitive decline and dementia.”

To maintain good cardiovascular health, you should comply with the following recommendations: give up smoking; be physically active; include vegetables, fruit, and fish into your diet; keep your weight healthy; keep an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

A new study from Ohio State University, US, suggests that sociability, especially later in life, may bring many mental and physical health benefits — it can protect against cognitive decline.

For their research, the scientists included mice aged 15–18 months. As a part of an experiment, they were divided into two groups. One group was housed in pairs modeling “an old couple”. The other mice were placed into groups containing 6 rodents. They were given the conditions modeling housing condition for 3 months.

Having analyzed the received results, the scientists concluded that mice that were living in a group were better in remembering new locations and new things.

The researchers insist that it is important for people to make decisions about choosing a place to live when they get older, as these choices could either facilitate social activities or prevent individuals from maintaining a rich social life.

A new research from the University of Edinburgh, UK, suggests that cheap cilostazol tablets may reduce damage to arteries, which lead to blood clots, resulting in strokes and cognitive decline.

The researchers plan to assess the medications’ ability to cut the risk of lacunar strokes and dementia within the next three years.

Dr. Doug Brown from the Alzheimer’s Society says: “With no new dementia drug in 15 years – but one person every three minutes developing it – the race is on to find desperately needed drugs that can prevent people getting dementia. Finding an existing drug which can prevent dementia would be a huge breakthrough.”